Increasingly, users install a wide range of applications (also commonly referred to as “apps”) on a wide range of hardware platforms. For example, users install applications on cellular telephones—sometimes called “smart phones”—for literally thousands of purposes. Such applications may be downloaded from a “marketplace” or “application store,” which may be configured as a single organization, typically managed by a cellular telephone service provider or device manufacturer. Accordingly, a cellular telephone provider is able to serve applications (both free and paid) to a captive audience of cellular subscribers. Other device types (TVs, etc.) may be similarly managed to receive applications from a single source.
The downloading process typically involves a user opening the marketplace application and entering a key word that is to be used to search for a desired application. Alternatively, the user may select among buttons representing categories of applications, such as “games” or “featured.” In either case, the user is presented with a listing of applications from which to choose.
This system is problematic for many reasons. Once installed, an application can access or attempt to access any or all resources that are available on or through the user equipment. For example, an application may access the user's private contact information, determine the user's location, track the user's typing or data entering into other applications, and share information or seek information with others through one or more network connections (e.g., cellular, WiFi, etc.) provided by the user equipment. Some operating systems attempt to regulate what rights an application is granted, by querying the user for such permissions when the application is granted. However, some users may not adequately consider such queries when responding, or may not understand the possible unacceptable consequences of providing permission for an application to have various resource rights. For these and other reasons, the present processes for finding, installing, and controlling applications on user equipment nodes continues to be unreasonably burdensome to some users and can fail to sufficiently safeguard users' interests.
The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.